The resignation of Blue Jackets assistant coach Dan Hinote left an opening. The Dispatch report said no candidates were interviewed from outside the organization, making Larsen the frontrunner.

From the perspective of Falcons fans, it will be tough to see him go. There is no question, though, that he deserves it.

Larsen's performance in the last two seasons has gone beyond remarkable. It's been one of the best hockey coaching jobs at any level in North America, and on a par with any seen in the long, long history of hockey in Springfield.

As head coach, Larsen guided the Falcons to consecutive Northeast Division titles, with the team setting franchise records for success in the process. Getting his chance as head coach after serving as a Springfield assistant, his team's record was 92-45-15 in that span.

The 2012-13 division title erased nearly a decade of frustration and losing that began long before Columbus got involved with Springfield.

Nonetheless, overcoming the loser image attached to Springfield hockey was no small task. Neither was adjusting to the unknown variables of the lockout which closed the NHL for the first part of the 2012-13 season.

When the NHL resumed play, the Falcons did not falter as many had predicted. Their success during the stoppage was neither an illusion nor a product of the odd circumstances.

Larsen also dealt smoothly with constant roster changes, from callups to injuries. Every AHL team faces these adjustments, but Springfield was hit extremely hard in both categories.

Yet they kept on winning, which was proof that Larsen's system was one that worked. It allowed him to insert new players where others had been playing, without disrupting either the style or success of the on-ice product.

The Falcons had plenty of excuses to falter, but Larsen is a no-excuses guy. That rubbed off on his players, too.

He also developed players for future NHL assignment, proving that winning and development were not an either-or choice. At least a half-dozen players who went through Springfield look ready for solid NHL careers.

The last person to give Larsen any credit for this would be Larsen. Always mindful of the help from his staff and from team leaders such as Ryan Craig, his modest approach made it easy to overlook his own role in transforming the Falcons from AHL doormat to AHL powerhouse.

The Blue Jackets helped as well. Their affiliation with Springfield, which runs at least through next season, is by far the best the Falcons have enjoyed with an NHL partner.

Hinote's resignation last week has been as one based on family considerations. Until that announcement, Larsen seemed headed back to Springfield for a third season as head coach.

For whoever replaces him at the AHL level, Larsen will be a tough act to follow. If he is indeed headed to the NHL, Springfield fans should be happy for him and they probably will be.

It is reminiscent of the time Daniel Briere played for the Falcons and awaited his NHL break in the late 1990s. Falcons fans loved seeing him in Springfield, but they were happy for him when he got his promotion because the NHL is where he belonged.

That is the case with Brad Larsen, too. He has earned a job in the big time. Wish him luck if he's leaving and hope his successor can sustain the winning style and atmosphere to a franchise that needed it desperately when he took the reins.